95 thoughts on “DA Confusion for the 13th of June, 2014”

  1. Struggling through. Some of the wordplays (eg: 9A/22D and 21A) are as difficult as I can remember.

  2. Got 1a and 1d very quickly…struggled for half an hour with not much more…DA at his best (worst).

  3. There really is no bad luck associated with Friday 13th, so why does this column todat say 12th of June?

  4. OK – have all out but do not get wordplay for 16D. If anyone could enlighten me I would be appreciative. Thanks.

  5. All out but some with wordplay after the event or still to get.
    Hadn’t heard of 17A and only got it from the first 7 letters and cross letters after getting 25A and having a guess on google.
    Took too long on 8D looking for the ‘sewer/sewer’ trick.

  7. 16D, got it. Hurting is ‘ in letters 1,2,7,8’ . Road regulars letters 3,4. Roaring letters 5,6

  8. Gayle – thanks. I had letters 3,4 – and thought letters 5,6. I churned it every way which and did not pick the last bit with “hurt”. Thanks again.

  9. As usual, left behind by the experts, only seven soved as yet. I’m assuming 19D is a sort of ICKK?

  10. 19D: Arthur, yes. It’s one that’s hard to pick up.

    I liked 17A/5D and 21A. A good week for my vocabulary, as I had not previously heard of 10A, 17A/4D, 3D or 14A, or the river in 18D.

    I’ve always though 9A/22D was (10), but apparently it can also be (5, 5) or (5-5).

    Why is 14A snug?

    I don’t get 23A at all. I’m not even sure my answer (what you’d have if you stopped an 18D) is right.

  11. Thanks Rupert, thought I was right there. A further question: Does the ‘roughly coating’ give letters 4&5 of 9A, or somewhere else? I still have only ten.

  14. Rupert, 14 A Snug … Ozknowledge needed. 7504
    23 A: synonym for 18 A holds middle jobs, , def first 3 words. It’s a kind of travel preference, or maybe dropping out.

  16. This one took me a good hour, hrrrrmph. Quite a lesson on Aus geography! Only one question – can anyone enlighten me on 5a wordplay?

  17. Martin, letter 1 of 5ac is Sot without ‘very’ followed by synonym for ‘waves’ minus first letter

  18. Martin, if this only took you an hour you are doing very well!
    Like Rupert there were several words I had never heard of.
    I’m not sure of the word play for 5A .
    19D the last word I got in and I don’t get its word play either (assuming I have it correct)

  20. 19D is a double definition. A kick that bounces unpredictably, and a shallow digger, especially around roots.

  21. Thanks, Rupert. Clearly I had 26A incorrect so now I’ll need another think about that. ‘Crier’ seemed to fit, too!

  22. 26A: I believe the last word is a reference to a Jim Carrey movie, or a different US comedian, or (just possibly) a UK cabinet minister.

  26. Ella – 1A is a straightforward anagram. 11A, if you’ve ever smoked you’d hear this question a lot. Answer is a synonym for the last three words.

  28. Hi Ella – 1A Definition is first word, anagram of words 2 and 3.
    I enjoyed 21 A and 10 A today – thanks Rupert for 19 D explanation (I’d only heard of the word preceded by “mully”) and thanks to Beth for explanation of 5A wordplay

  29. In the end, it all turned out to be surprisingly simple! Was finished by 1101, as I realised where to find 24D.

  32. Crypticrochet – 21A Definition is first word. Letters 1-2 2nd word. Letters 5-8 what Rome is an example of; Letters 3-4 is what is left once you take away the author (DA being self-referential) from “Rome”

    Beth at 10.52 gave a great explanation of the wordplay for 5A – definition is the last word of the clue

  34. 20D: First word is the definition. Place of worship is a common two-letter abbreviation. The rest sounds spooky.

  35. Thanks Rupert. I had 28A incorrect, ending it with “er” rather than the correct ending. Makes sense now.

    A very good crossword today.

  36. thanks all for your help
    I have a few pointers now
    so I’ll try agIn
    .!
    ella

  37. Assistance with 2D would really be appreciated, the last one I have to solve!

  40. Well that was fun! Last one in was 23A. Minor quibble with 2D if I’m parsing it properly: Letters 4-6 are presumably the “amp plug-in” although I’d plug mine into a sound desk or a speaker, certainly not an amp. That leaves letters 1-3 and 7 being the “stage”, but isn’t this word a plural of the word ending with “um”?

    Happy to be corrected on this one …

  41. Got a bit of a start, hint for 18d would be good. I have found 3 rivers that fit the two cross letters that I have but none seem to fit the wordplay

  42. nn. Re 18 D. Dwindled is used as a truncation indicator. Last word is the definition.

  45. I am still struggling with 13d, 15 d, 23a, 27a and 28a. Any help out there?

  49. Sandy I’m stuck on all the ones you mentioned except 27a. Def is last word and it sounds like an Off peak charge for something.
    I’ve found Gayles Snug reference, but didn’t help one bit in working out 14a

  50. Re 2D, thanks John and Sandy, I get it now. I was trying to overcomplicate it with the use of Latin…

  51. I am right now nn. Word finder needed, but I got there. 13d def is first word. Ill is anagrind and the anagram is stuffed into a word for head (or hair anyway)

  52. 14a kick-boxing is very clever. ‘Kick’ is anagrind, while boxing is container indicator.

  53. I was reading 13d that way but can’t work out what the word for head is that i have to stuff into the rest of the letters. Only have two cross letters so the def isn’t helping me to solved it. Jabbed really ground to a halt now with only 8 solved. Will try again after

  59. nn, are you still looking for 14A? I got really hung up with that one, thinking of ‘snug’ from watching Coronation Street, and cross letters making me thing ‘amply’ something. I only got the right ‘snug’ after getting it out. Quietly, should be very quietly in an anagram of’ ‘ learns ideal’.

  60. Pretty much a record for me – got all but one before coming here. And that was 21A which I only didn’t get because I had idiotically spelt 16D incorrectly. Spent a while thinking 21A was going to be some obscure Italian author!
    15d and 16d were my favourites this week.

    nn – yell if you want tips elsewhere

  61. thanks Gayle, finally got it with your hint. That is a very difficult (albeit clever) clue.
    Julian, I still have lots of gaps, but if I can get 17a/4d out, it might help me with 5d and then I might have enough cross letters to have a go at the rest. I have a guess for the first word of 17a and also for 4d, but that middle bit has me stumped with far too many possibilities (and not knowing 5d, I’m not sure which one to go for).

  62. P.S. Gayle regarding 14a, it certainly helped knowing it was very quietly. Everything I’d tried before you told me this left me short of letters, so was never sure what, if anything, was an anagram.

  63. Got 25a/5d now as 14a gave me the cross letter I needed to get 5d. This revealed than my 22d was wrong! Got 17A/4d now (at least my guesses for the first and last words in this were correct)
    Don’t get the wordplay in 17a/4d though.
    Hopefully have enough cross letters to get a few more in now

  64. @nn 17/4 wordplay. You’ve probably got the anagram of pianist 1-7. Improving as in sharpening your skills or a knife blade. Old broadcaster is a ‘golden tonsil’.

  65. 17a/4d. Anagram of Pianist followed by improving followed by the name of an old broadcaster. Whole thing means 5-down policy.

  66. All out now, although with a bit of help from wordfinders. Still lost on some wordplays, but will check out crossword club.

  67. Thanks Gayle and Julian. I’d never listened to that particular broadcaster, but have heard of him. Was originally messing around with defunct radio station names, but to no avail.

  68. Mostly sorted now. I had the wrong answer for 23a according to crossword club. I had the first word starting with N and the second with R, which made sense to me in terms of stopping 8d (although the rest of the wordplay didn’t make sense to me). However using the answer on crossword club, I don’t get what it has to do with 8d.

  69. Have re-read the explanation for 23a now and it sort of makes sense, but I don’t see why he included the word stopping in the clue, it doesn’t appear to be needed.

  70. Well for 23A centre of JOBS is OB and that is “stopping” (i.e. inserted into the middle of) a word meaning 18D (note it refers to 18d not 8d!)

  71. Thanks Julian, hadn’t thought of stopping in that sense and yes I meant 18d!

  72. Help please with 28a , 13d 15d 24d . All others done!! Quite hard today. Thanks, J.

  73. Julie
    15d definition is hyphenated first word found by losing (removing) sides of ‘naming coach aide’
    24d look for Australianism for p.m.
    13d definition is first word, ‘ill’ is anagrind fodder is ‘repute’ and 4 lettered word for ‘head’.

  74. 28a definition is first three words, ‘bed-changer’ think in a hospital.

  75. Thanks Steve – 75% success. Now only half of 13d to go! With an R and U up my sleeve. Cheers.

  76. Julie
    The 4 lettered word you need is more often used to describe the top or crown of the head.

  77. Julie
    Now that I look at 13d more closely ‘stuffs’ tells you where to put the anagram of ‘repute’, letters 2-7.

  78. Thanks Steve – all done .I can sleep now. Though heavens knows what 7 d (cord) has got to do with the rest of the clue!

  79. 7d ‘cord’ is the definition. ‘Reflected light’ is 4,5,6. What you do when you 11a is 1,2,3,7.

  83. Phil
    8d definition is first word, a ‘tub’ is 1,2,3 , a ‘sewer’ backed up is 8,7,6,5,4

  85. All out with Google used only to check 10A, “Snug” in 14A, and 3D.

    Help please on the wordplay on 1-3 in 2D. Despite the hints earlier on, I don’t get it. Maybe Sandy can explain how it relates to “behind” please? The best I can do for myself is that the plug-in is 1-3 plus 4-6.

  86. m – 2D – defn = “Heatproof protection”. “behind” = synonym for letters 1,2,3 (think of “behind” here as in “I am behind you all the way” ie: supporting / supportive). “amp plug-in” = synonym for letters 4,5,6 (shortened word). “mid-stage” = letter 7.

  89. Warren – I tend to agree – Sunday’s was a good challenge eg: 14D, 21A.
    And now Monday’s LR – 15D – ummm!!

  90. I’ve binned Sunday’s but it felt like not the same compiler.
    @Ray, re 15D, LR is a DA protege, non? I have to say, was hanging out for LR after RM on Mondays, but not up to his potential. I know it’s Monday, but ….

  91. @Gayle The only consistent thing about this puzzle these days is the use of obscure words. The clues are not new – they are ones that I regularly see working through old issues of CroZworld on the ACC site in puzzles written by Noel Jessop. The current compiler is using a computer to assemble “new” crosswords from old Noel Jessop clues, that’s why there’s no consistency and the crossword lacks a balance of clues and the difficulty varies greatly. Look for dated cryptic clueing, use of obscure words and the absence of any new or modern words.

  92. I’ve just gotten around to checking through answers for Friday. I screwed up on 9A,22D. I worked wrong end of the clue. I had SMART ALECK (I also had RASCAL for 1D and thought since I knew I had 1A &11A right, the S was right) I can’t see how to parse the correct answer. anyone still kicking around?

  93. Crypticrochet re 9A22D: Definition is “pottery” and letters 1,2,3,4, and 5 give a homophone for a word meaning “brat”(articulate). Letters 6 and 10 give an abbreviation for “roughly” (think “about”) which contain a three letter abbreviation for “extravagant”. DA has used this last abbreviation before.

  95. @ Stig, computer-generated crosswords based on a departed setter’s opus .. very sad .. for solvers. If there is an afterlife, hope Noel Jessop is having a good chuckle.

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